Dear Hermione
by Erin Griffin
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Ginny/Hermione, Hermione/Luna
Summary: After Ginny breaks up with Hermione, she loses everything. With the unexpected help of Luna Lovegood, Hermione slowly begins to put the peices back together.
Disclaimer: JK Rowling, Scholastic books, and Warner Brothers owns Harry Potter.
Author's Note: This is the sequel to Dear Ginny, so you will need to know what happned in there to understand about 25% of what happens in this fic. I am not sure how I feel about it in comparison, but I like it in general. I am worried about how Luna turned out. Also, the timeline is a little iffy, but I'd say it takes place in Hermione and Harry's 6th year, but in an AU setting. Ginny started dating Hermione at the end of the year the year before, and broke up near October.
Hermione's relationship with Ginny began with a letter, and a few months later, it ended with one. Being the brightest in her class, Hermione should've known it was coming. She supposed she was floating too high at the thought of a relationship with the girl of her dreams that she didn't want to see Ginny's discomfort when she reached for her hand, or feel the distance between them even though they stood side by side.
She really should have known when Ginny started spending more time with Harry over the summer that her love was where she'd wanted to be all along, that soon enough Hermione would be standing next to her bed with Pig waiting patiently on her shoulder for praise or possibly a treat for his efforts. He had after all, just delivered quite a large bit of parchment to her. Not quite as big as the letter he'd delivered to her a few months ago, but it was still a bit of a burden. Hermione absently pet the owl's head, and told him 'thank you', which was enough for him. Ron liked to call him stupid, but Hermione knew that Pig understood more than he let humans think he did. Hermione let the owl out the window and watched as he flew away. Then she forced herself to reread the letter.
Dear Hermione,
I don't want to tell you this way, but I cannot continue to hurt you with my silence. You probably already know what I'm going to say, and I'm so sorry. Hermione, Harry came to me last weekend and told me that he's had feelings for me all this time, but couldn't tell me, at first because I'm Ron's sister, and then because I'm dating you. I don't know why he chose to tell me now, but I'm sure it wasn't because he meant to hurt you. I just think that, like you, he couldn't hold back any longer. I think we both know that I do love you, but not in the same way I love Harry. I want to be with him, so please, I'm asking you to let me go. We need to talk later.
-Ginny Weasley
By the time she read her, well, ex-girlfriend's name, tears were in Hermione's eyes, just as they had been the first time. Hermione watched Pig fly away, wondering if she had the courage to go talk to Ginny. Though her heart was breaking, she knew that she couldn't hide away in her room all day, but could she really be strong enough to hear what Ginny had to say? Could she stand to listen to how in love with Harry she still is, how in love with her Ginny never was? Being in the same situation with Victor Krum, only wearing the other shoe, Hermione knew that one simply couldn't choose who they fell in love with, and that she couldn't say or do anything that could change those feelings.
Slowly but surely, she put on a sweater over the lighter shirt she already wore, as well as her Hogwarts robe, even though it wasn't a school day. She walked down the stairs to the common room and was surprised to see Ginny just coming in through the portrait hole. She watched as her love went to Harry's side and murmured something to him. He looked guilty, but then placed a hand over Ginny's. That was it, the last straw before Hermione ran out, ignoring calls of her name behind her. Once she was outside the portrait hole, she ran into Ron, who placed a hand on her shulder. "I'm sorry, 'Ermione," he said in a low, sad tone.
"You knew?"
"I didn't want to interfere. It was my sister and best mates. I didn't know what to do."
"What an awkward situation we've all put you in," Hermione said sadly.
"Me? What about you?"
"It hurts. Really bad," she said. They were quiet.
"Please don't hate me," Ron said suddenly in a quiet voice. Hermione stared at him. "I'm sorry that she hurt you, but she's my sister. I-"
"I understand. I don't hate you, Ron," she said. "If ever there's time, we'll talk, okay?" she said. She then walked away and down the stairs. She was about to go to the library, but she didn't have any of her homework notes with her. Nor did she have the concentration for 'light' reading. She kept walking down the stairs and out the large doors. The Quidditch field looked inviting, thought she didn't want to go there, as that was probably where Harry had told Ginny how he felt about her.
How could he do that to her? He was supposed to be her best friend! Was he really that selfish, or did he believe that Ginny would politely reject him before running off to find her (then) girlfriend? He knew Ginny once fancied the pants off of him, so maybe he knew he had a chance with her. If he did, Hermione wasn't sure how she felt about that possibility being there. There was no way she'd know for sure without talking to him, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. She felt betrayed by him. Why couldn't he have just move on or waited until Ginny herself told Hermione that she'd made a mistake before he made his move? It would've hurt her no matter what, but it would have been less so than the betrayal she felt right then.
"Hello, Hermione." The soft, yet unexpected voice shook Hermione out of her thoughts. She looked to her left, where Luna Lovegood stood, shifting from one foot to the other. She stared at her expectantly, as if she wanted to hear Hermione's reply before she could skip away to wherever it was she'd been off to before.
"Hi, Luna," Hermione replied, her voice flat. She expected for Luna to continue on after that, but she didn't. Hermione could feel the blonde's somewhat gaze on her as they walked slowly together.
"I'm off to feed the animals at Hagrid's cabin. Would you like to come?" Luna asked after a moment. Seeing as Hermione had no plans for the rest of the weekend other than cry for her losses, she nodded. She began to follow Luna as she picked up her speed again, and Hermione found a direction to walk in. They were silent as they walked towards the games keeper's home, and a moment later, Luna slipped her arm around Hermione's left to link them. When Hermione looked at her questioningly, Luna was staring ahead of them, but neither one spoke.
Once they got to Hagrid's cabin, Luna let go of Hermione's arm and began to prepare each animal's food. Knowing what each creature ate, Hermione helped, starting with Fang, who drooled all over her sleeve as he anticipated his meal. He gave her a snotty, slobbery kiss before inhaling his food, and even through her 'Ew, Fang!' protest, Hermione was smiling for the first time that day. Then after that, she helped Luna by preparing the food for her, while the blonde took it out to the various cages in the back garden. It was peaceful work, and though her chest hurt terribly, the job allowed Hermione to forget the reason for that ache for moments at a time. She was grateful to Luna for that.
As Luna finished checking the cages to make sure they were latched, Hermione sat at the chair, absently petting Fang and manuevering her hand and his body so that she got the least amount of slobber possible. Of course, she could have just used a simple cleaning spell on herself during the walk back, but she figured it was easier to prevent it in the first place. Luna came back into the cabin and nodded her head in the direction of the door and the castle. "We should go," she said. Hermione said goodbye to Fang before she walked past Luna and out the door. Then, Luna offered her elbow, and Hermione stared at her for a second before slipping her arm through the blonde's.
The two girls walked a slow circle around the castle, and when they passed the Quidditch field, Luna said, "If you talk, I'll listen." It was so quiet that Hermione hadn't heard her at first. It took a moment before she realized what her walking companion had just said. This threw her for a loop. She was enjoying the walk, and she was okay with the silence between them. She wasn't sure just how much she wanted to face just then, especially with somebody like Luna Lovegood.
"Thank you, but I like this," Hermione replied. She waved her arm between them, but Luna's attention was caught by a bird that had flown overhead, and she was again lost in thought. Hermione, too, let her mind wander.
The whole school had known that Hermione was a lesbian once she walked into the Great Hall holding Ginny's hand. They'd been whispered about and made fun of because of the stupid rumor of both wanting and not getting Harry, so they dated eachother instead. It was exactly what Hermione had been afraid of, but Ginny Weasley's hand tightened in hers, and as she'd promised in writing and before that, they had faced that together. That was why she thought that they might last, because Ginny had braved that storm with her and made her feel like she could be okay as someone not quite normal. Hermione had known that from then on she woudn't be afraid again. Harry hadn't liked their relationship though, which was strange to Hermione, considering how nonchalant he had been when Ginny first found Hermione's love letter. It just didn't make any sense. Though Hermione loved her with all of her heart and Harry barely seemed to care, Ginny still chose him.
Hermione's thoughts were broken yet again when they stopped suddenly. Hermione realized that they were standing in front of the entrance to the castle. She looked to Luna, who was staring in front of them. "I'm sorry. I'm a bit spacey today," Hermione apologized.
"Happens to me all the time," Luna responded. She unlinked their arms and the two of them stood side by side as if unsure what to say or do next.
"Thank you for the walk today. I didn't realize until today how much I missed Hagrid and Fang," Hermione started slowly, hoping this would lead the conversation and their day to an easy close.
"I miss them, too," Luna said. She looked as if she was about to say something else, but she didn't. They stood again in silence, this time a little more akward than the last.
"Well, I should go study. Thanks again." Hermione was surprised when Luna wrapped her arms around her.
"You'll be alright," she said, then she stepped away and skipped off into the castle. Hermione stared after her with a small smile before she slowly made her own way inside.
She wasn't very far up the steps when she saw Harry and Ginny walking down hand in hand. She quickly averted her gaze and turned to the painting, but she let them stop before her. She looked to the ground as she waited for Ginny and Harry to either speak or leave. "Hermione," Ginny said softly, but that was all. She couldn't find anymore words to say, words to explain herself. Hermione looked up and saw the torturous sight of Ginny and Harry looking quite romantic and... right together. She imagined the sight before her must have been what Harry's parents looked like when they were in Hogwarts together. Her eyes welled up again.
"I promise," she said. "There's nothing else I can do. I promise to let you go, okay?"
"Hermione-"
"Just promise me in return that you won't make me talk about it. There's nothing left to say." She looked Ginny in the eyes for the first time since they stopped being a couple.
"I'm sorry-"
"Promise me," Hermione insisted. Ginny looked down, and her hair fell forward. There was a sniffle, and Hermione tried hard to keep her own tears at bay.
"I promise," Ginny whispered.
With that, Hermione continued up the stairs towards the Fat Lady's portrait, not sparing any glances in Harry's direction. "Hounds of Baskerville," she said with a shaky voice, then she went to her room and sat on her bed. She was surprised to see that the sun was beginning to set, when it hadn't been long after breakfast when she'd gotten the letter from Ginny. Hermione let her mind go in its own direction for a while as she thought about the day and a little bit about Luna. She wondered why the Ravenclaw girl felt the need to remain at her side that day. She was thankful for that, and hoped that she could find a way to repay that someday. Slowly, Hermione took out her Potions book and looked through the ingredients index in the back, which made her drowzy enough to fall asleep.
*****
The next morning dragged on for Hermione, as it took tremendous effort just to get into a bath and then down to the Great Hall for breakfast. She hated that people kept asking her why she wasn't with Ginny, or worse, why Ginny was holding Harry's hand and not hers. Even those who once rideculed them as a couple seemed concerned for the break up, or maybe they just needed more gossip. It was hard to really tell anymore, not that Hermione cared. In the end, Hermione put her pastry on a napkin and walked out of the Great Hall to go to class. She saw Luna coming in as she was on her way out. "Hi Hermione," Luna said absently.
"Hi, Luna."
"Try to have a good day," she said softly, almost in the same way her mother would tell her when she was on her way to primary school.
"Er- Thank you, Luna." Hermione replied.
She couldn't concentrate in class. It was worse than the time Ginny found her love note and she couldn't tell if Ginny knew it was from her or not. She tried, she really did, but nothing could keep her mind off of the many ways she loved Ginny, and the one way that Ginny had hurt her.
At lunch, she couldn't stand to be in the Great Hall so close to THEM, but the pastry she'd had at breakfast hadn't been enough. She sat on the far end of the table next to Colin and Denny Creevey, as well as their first year cousin, whose name she forgot. She was so far on the end that she turned around in hopes of seeing Luna behind her, but she wasn't. Doing a quick search, she saw that Luna was on the other far end, closer to where the teachers sat. She was more or less by herself, as by yourself as you can be at the crowded House tables, and she was waving her fork around as if it was her wand. She said what looked to be a summoning spell, and Hermione watched. The blonde was doing the wrist movement wrong, but the flicker of the fingers looked right. Hermione looked down and ate her chips. She wondered about the house elves and hoped that they hadn't worked too hard to meet the students' needs.
Suddenly, Hermione felt the presens beside her, standing between her and the door to the Great Hall. Looking up, Hermione saw that it was Luna. She was looking around as Hermione chewed. When she swallowed her bite, she asked, "Luna?" The blonde took a moment to complete her visual sweeps of the students before looking down at Hermione, as if to just notice her there. She smiled somewhat shyly.
"I've got to feed the animals again today, but I'll be late for Potions again if I go alone, so..." She trailed off and Hermione continued to stare at her.
When she didn't finish the sentance, Hermione asked, "You need my help?" Luna nodded, and the sixth year stood up. "Let's go, then." This seemed to momentarily take Luna out of her trance.
"But your lunch," she protested, but Hermione only shrugged. Luna snatched up the other half of Hermione's sandwhich from the Gryffindor table just before the rest of the food disappeared. "Take this with you and eat it on the way," she said, handing it to Hermione.
"Thank you," Hermione said for lack of anything better to respond to that. The two girls walked out of the Great Hall, Luna skipping a couple of steps ahead of Hermione before being told off by Professor McGonagall. Once they got outside, Luna continued to skip a couple of steps ahead, before stopping to wait for Luna, and then skipping ahead again. Hermione tried her best to eat and walk, while at the same time, trying to keep up with Luna so that they weren't late.
Just as they had been the day before, they were in silence until they reached Hagrid's cabin. Fang slimed Hermione again as she fed him and let him outside for a few minutes. She found plants and feed to hand Luna, she filled up a large bucket of water for Luna to scoop into dishes for the animals, and then they were off, hurrying to get back to the castle before the last bell sounded. Again, Luna draped herself around Hermione in a hug before they separated, Luna to Potions and Hermione to Advanced Muggle Myth and History class. Though Luna didn't say that Hermione would be alright, she still seemed to convey that in her hug.
"Bye Luna," Hermione called after the blonde, who was at that moment skipping away. There wasn't a reply, and Hermione wasn't sure if she was expecting one.
*****
Throughout the rest of the week, Luna continued to stand at Hermione's side at lunch after she'd eaten and waited for the sixth year to finish up. She didn't care that she got looks and whispers. Then the two would hurry off to feed the animals. By the weekend, Hermione had come to expect it, but when she hadn't seen her at all on Saturday, she felt a small amount of disappointment. She went from the Great Hall towards the library, but once she got there, she saw Harry and Ginny snuggled in what used to be her study corner, snogging. Hermione's gasp couldn't be stopped. She hadn't expected the pain to flood back all at once. During the week, it had all hurt, but helping Luna took some of that pain away. The fact that she hadn't seen much of the new couple since last weekend except to share Defence Against the Dark Arts with Harry and Ron (who ignored her as much as she ignored them), helped a bit.
Hermione hurried out of the library, making a clatter as she did so, and causing Madam Pince to shush her. She ran down the steps and made it outdoors before she began to sob, doubling over so that she used her knees as support. She knew she was getting looks, sympathetic or otherwise. Hermione felt a hand on her back, between her shoulderblades, which had made her jump. The hand gently urged her to the ground, where they both sat, Luna crossing her legs in a serene position as she waited in silence.
"You're here," Hermone said. "I couldn't find you earlier." She sniffled a couple of times.
"And that made you cry?" Luna asked. Hermione couldn't help it. She let out a small giggle.
"No. I'm glad that you're here, though," Hermione said truthfully. "You've always been here when I've needed you. I guess I've come to expect it a little. Silly, huh?" Luna didn't say anything to that as Hermione had hoped she would. The blonde didn't ask why she cried, nor did she say that she was there. It was obvious, yes, but Luna said nothing.
Hermione then realized that sitting on the grass wasn't a good idea after all. She stood up and lended her hand for Luna to take. She did, and Hemione watched as Luna scrambled to her feet. "Shall we go feed the animals today?" Hermione asked, wishing she didn't sound so hopeful.
"I've already been to the cabin," Luna replied.
"Oh."
"On the weekends, I go early in the morning so that I have more time to explore." Luna seemed to want to explain herself.
"Oh," Hermione said again.
"I'm looking for signs of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack around school. A day like today is perfect for exploring," Luna added in, almost carefully. The fact that she was almost stalling gave Hermione a little hope.
"Would you mind if I... tagged along?" Hermione asked, which surprised both girls. Luna looked at Hermione carefully.
"You don't believe in Crumple-Horned Snorkacks."
"I know, but-"
"Which is what I don't get about you, Hermione," Luna continued, cutting the sixth year girl off. "Seven years ago, being Muggle born, you probably didn't believe that witches and magic was real, let alone most of the creatures you've encountered in your first year of Hogwarts alone. If those became real to you even though they have never before exsisted, then why is it so hard for you to believe that Nargles or other creatures we've argued about could also exsist?" Luna stopped as Hermione thought this over. "I admit to the possibility that they aren't real, but that's not why I look. Its all the things that do exsist that I see along the way, things that are so beautiful when I take a closer look. I've found that once you start searching for one thing in particular, you end up finding everything else." Hermione stared at Luna, who got lost in thought, as if she had already gone exploring. She was surprised by the wisedom of her words, and she felt a little bad for rediculing Luna and the Quibbler, even if she didn't believe what they did.
"I'll keep an open mind. Who knows what we'll find," Hermione said. Luna smiled at her.
"That rhymed."
"So did that," Hermione said, returning the smile. This seemed to make up Luna's mind for her, and the blonde slipped her arm through the sixth year girl's arm. Together they began to walk in the general direction of the Womping Willow, stopping just short of it to start making their way around the edge of the boundaries. They went a lot slower then as Luna showed Hermione hidden patches of plants within certain grassy areas, and she explained why certain things grew the way they did in Hogwarts. Some of the things Luna told her were written in Hogwarts: A History, but the rest of it was information that only Dumbledore or Hagrid would know. It interested Hermione to learn new things from Luna, things that she couldn't read in a book. She showed her plants and insects that she had only seen dead and dried, which she'd placed into potions wihtout a second thought. She even saw some plants and creatures she'd only seen in her books, and it surprised her just how many of them had been under her nose at Hogwarts all these five or six years without her knowing.
When the Auntumn air got colder and the sun began to set, both girls were told by Madam Hooch to start heading inside. They obeyed, though they took their time. On the way, Luna said, "If you talk, I'll listen." Hermione stared at her, wondering if Luna said that because she wanted to know why she had cried earlier. Hermione felt she owed Luna at least a little bit of an explaination.
"Er- You probably already know why. Ginny broke up with me last weekend..." Hermione hadn't meant to, but she ended up telling Luna the whole story about Ginny's change of heart about their relationship, even telling her a little bit about the letters they'd exchanged that had started the whole thing. She expressed her anger at Harry Potter and sadness that she and Ron can't be friends until this blew over, and the fact that there might be a chance that it never will. She shrugged after this, unsure what else to say. Half of the time when she was talking, she wasn't even sure Luna had heard her, but just speaking it out loud had been helpful, even if she hadn't. So she thought.
"I knew you were sad, but I didn't know that you'd lost all of your best friends in one day. You must have been so lonely," Luna said softly after a moment.
"Not as much as I would have been if you hadn't been here all week. Thank you so much." Hermione sighed. "But I know I've got to just... let it go and move on. She left me with no other option. Its the only thing to do now. My marks will suffer if I don't. I've already got to go study tomorrow because of my absent note taking this week."
"We've got Astronomy together, so you can look at my notes from that," Luna offered. "I won't be much help in anything else, as I'm also struggling in Charms class." Luna said this as an afterhtought. Hermione thought about this.
"Let's have a study day tomorrow. I can borrow your notes from this week and I can dig up some old Charms notes and help you in your classes. Some of my other classes will be fine, as it is bookwork that I've probably already done," Hermione offered in return. Luna nodded.
"I'll be at the Great Hall for breakfast at eight, I'll feed the animals, and then I'll meet you at the library at around nine."
"Okay," Hemrione said, though she knew that she'd be in the Great Hall with her bag at eight so that she could go with Luna. They hugged, then went their seperate ways, Luna towards the Owlry, and Hermione to her room. When she spotted Lavendar, who was an early riser even on the weekends, she asked her if she would wake her up at the same time she did, or at least on her way out. Lavendar seemed slightly surprised when Hermione told her the reason, but she nodded and said that she would.
******
Over the next two and a half months, Luna and Hermione spent a little bit of time everyday in somewhat of a routine. They'd always go check on the creatures at Hagrid's cabin, and on Saturdays they'd go in search of one creature or another that Hermione had either never heard of, or had ridiculed Luna for believing in. As she promised, she kept her mouth shut and went along for the adventure. Just about everyday, Hermione learned something new about the world around her, or even the girl who walked or skipped beside her, a tidbit that she'd put together in her mind to get a better picture of Luna. She learned more about Luna's mother and father, and what happened to them. Hermione found herself as well opening up and talking about her parents, when she never really did with anyone but Harry and the Weasleys, who met them. Hermione hated to admit to herself, and then to Liuna, that she'd been somewhat ashamed of her parents for being merely Muggle ever since she'd been called a Mudblood. All Luna said to that was, "I hope something doesn't happen that leaves you regretting these feelings." After that, Hermione went to the Owlry and sent a long letter to her parents.
When she ran out of things to say about her parents and her past, she began telling Luna Muggle stories, and found that Luna liked listening to them, even telling a couple of similar witch stories. Hermione found Luna's story about Babba Yaga very amusing. When she forgot some of the stories or found herself repeating fairytales (not that Luna minded), she began telling the blonde about television shows and movies. When she had got to talking about tribbles and flying monkeys, they added to their weekly search.
On Sundays, they'd hurry back from Hagrid's cabin so that they could reserve a good spot in the library, one with good lighting, but none next to the windows or Luna wouldn't concentrate. Hermione learned that the hard way the first couple of Sundays. There were times when she couldn't get Luna to concentrate, anyway, so she would have to put her hands up in defeat and let the other girl do whatever it was she was doing in her mind while she read. When Luna did concentrate, Hermione was the one teaching her as they compared notes and did what they could before doing school work in their own subjects, but in eachother's company. Luna even got a small lesson on Muggle Myths and History and would offer up her own opinions as a wizard born witch, versus Hermione's Muggle born perspective on events in history. Once or twice, their debates would get them shushed. They'd smile at eachother and prmose to finish the debate later, but they never did. After studying, they'd have lunch together before Luna went off to do her own thing and Hermione read fiction books on her bed. One time, Luna had given her a copy of the Quibbler, and she read that, which gave her a better idea of what exactly they searched for every Saturday, if nothing else. It also made some of Luna's speech made sense.
The seasons changed, and as fall turned to winter and winter got colder and icy, Hermione and Luna would explore the corridors and get lost every now and again, only asking portraits for help on the way back at the very last minute before curfew. They'd make snow figures if it wasn't too cold out, and when the snow melted, they began their searches again for any number of creatures that Hermione had never even heard of.
As Hogwarts seemed to slowly awaken and start up again, so did Hermione. She felt better about the whole thing. She bit the tiger's tail and joined Ron and Harry when they played chess a couple of times, even finding the strength to stay seated when Ginny came to join her new boyfriend. They were courtious enough to keep their hands to themselves when she was around. Though they could still talk and laugh like before, she knew that she was no longer truly part of the famous trio anymore. She found herself feeling okay with that, for with every minute she spent in the company of who once were her best friends, Hermione found herself missing Luna Lovegood, wondering where she was and what she was searching for at any of the given moments. She found herself daydreaming or reliving her day, thinking over things she'd seen and learned, the story or stories she'd told. During classes, she, too, wondered about these things, but between her notes as she dipped her quill in ink. In Astronomy class, she'd watch Luna now and again and wonder how the blonde could be so far away and still take the notes she had. It always seemed to Hermione (as she watched while telling stories as well as in her classes), that the farther away Luna seemed to be, the more she was actually paying attention. It was something that Hermione knew she could never understand, yet it was fascinating to witness.
By late February, the snow kept itself at bay for days at a time, and on one such day, Luna and Hermione were walking through the grounds. The air was cold, but the sun was out, desperately trying to fight the clouds that kept it from warming them completely. Somewhat bundled, the two girls walked faster than normal to keep warm. "Tell me again about the StarWreck Tribbles," Luna requested. Hermione smiled and was about to comply when a translucent shape flew above them, and a scream was heard.
"PLEASE! STAY AWAY FROM ME!! I SAID I'M SORRY!!" Peeves cried out. He didn't see the two girls in his flight, and he continued on. The look of terror on his face made Hermione feel bad for him before she remembered all of the tricks he played on students over who knew how many years.
Myrtle and Sir Nickelous were hot on his trail, laughing and holding hands. They almost caught up to him when Peeves disappeared into the lake, and they gave up persuit. The ghostly couple then floated in a different direction, their arms changing so that, like Luna and Hermione, they were arm in arm. Myrtle said something to the older ghost, and he tilted his head back to let out a hearty laugh, which caused his head to fall back against his neck. Myrtle didn't skip a beat as she helped him get his head back on the right spot. From the look on his face to the movement of his lips, he seemed to say to her, "Thank you dear," and they continued on.
"Of all couples I've ever seen at Hogwarts, they're certainly the happiest," Luna observed softly. She too watched them until they were out of sight.
"Their love really could last forever," Hermione replied, hoping Luna couldn't hear the wistfulness in her voice.
"Maybe... Maybe it just means that it doesn't matter how long or when we find that love as long as we do," Luna added in. She tugged very lightly on Hermione's arm to get them walking again. They braced themselves for the slippery hill they walked down as they neared the far border of Hogwarts' territories. In the distance, Hermione spotted Neville Longbottom, no doubt on another search for Trevor. Hermione told herseld to keep her eyes open for him as she began describing Tribbles from her limited memory of them from the TV show. Hermione hadn't watched much of the show when she was younger, but her father loved it when it was played in syndication. Hermione chose to read a book when he did watch it, but she remembered the episode with the tribbles the most.
In the middle of describing the habitat of Tribbles (most of which she made up, but she wasn't about to tell Luna that), the blonde at her side shot off, breaking the link their arms had made. Hermione broke out of the daze she had been in while telling the story and watched Luna's retreating form, wondering what was going on. Luna, still in her run, looked back at Hermione briefly and shouted, "Come on, Hermione! I think I saw something!" Hermione searched in the direction Luna was running, and willed her feet to move. She, too, saw something in the grass ahead of them, but it was too far away to even distinguish the coloring, let alone species. Part of Hermione wondered if this was it, if maybe this was the creature Luna had been looking for. Could this be the Moon Frogs or whatever, or even something Hermione had only read about? It was bigger than anything Luna had shown her before, and Hermione felt a bit of eagerness as the two girls got a bit closer.
They saw the creature moving again, only Hermione felt a bit of terror when she saw where it was off to. "Luna! It's headed for the Womping Willow!"
Luna aknowledged what Hermione had said, and she removed her wand from the back of her ear in a move so smoothe, Hermione was reminded of the illusions street performers would use. Hermione was going to tell her that it might get her introuble to use magic where they were, but it was too late. "ACCIO!" Luna called, using force in her arm as she pointed the spell, as if she thought that by doing so, it would give her spell more distance. The creature flew through the air towards them, and Hermione took her own wand out in case it turned out to be dangerous. Hermione could only watch as Luna caught the creature in her robes. She put her wand in her mouth as she stopped running, and she was breathing fog around it. Hermione trotted the rest of the way to Luna and almost couldn't stop, as she'd slid on a patch of wet, semi-frozen grass. She had to grab onto Luna's shoulders as brakes and the blonde remained sturdy under her hands as she braced for it. Hermione then leaned in to see what Luna had caught.
Slowly, Luna opened her hands to see Trevor, looking as if he wanted to hop away from them. Luna's hold got tighter, and both girls felt a bit of disappointment. Luna spit out her wand (a move that put Hermione into action and she tried to catch it, but had missed) and said, "You shouldn't be out here. It is so cold out here, and Neville's worried about you."
Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the rediculousness of it all, at the hope she'd felt at it being a rare creature. Since she was still catching her breath, her laughter was little more than a wheeze, then as her air came back to her, it escalated to almost a howl. It was the type of laughter she hadn't had since she and Ginny stayed up late, ate way too much candy and played several rounds of Least Likely. She hadn't laughed like that for quite sometime. She sat down on the ground, even though it was more than a little cold and wet, and Luna, after putting Trevor in her robe pocket, joined her. She didn't seem in the least bit uncomfortable with where they were, in fact, her lips turned upwards into a smile and she let out her own soft giggles at Hermione's reaction to everything. Hermione leaned back and made a quick snow angel, only one of the wings was off because Luna was there. Afterwards, she just lay there, looking up at the sky, and a moment later, she felt soft hair on her forehead and saw Luna leaning above her.
From her position on the ground, Hermione looked up at Luna just as she felt some of the cold on her face. Clouds moved above them, and a couple more snowflakes fell down and got caught in Luna's hair. Hermione found that the image made the girl above her fit, her eyes seemed lighter, almost icy, but not cold. 'She really is quite beautiful,' Hermione thought to herself, which stopped her laughter immediately. The two girls looked at eachother for a moment, staring into eachother's eyes. It felt more comfortable than it ever felt with anyone else she'd ever knwn, and Luna seemed fine with simply staring back. After a moment, Hermione sat up quickly and captured Luna's lips. For a moment, Hermione froze. She didn't know why exactly she'd just made the move she'd made. Hermione usually made decisions after knowing for the most part, all the possible outcomes. Never really had she acted completely on impulse except for when facing a danger with Harry and Ron. She wasn't sure how Luna would react, as the Ravenclaw girl was so unpredictable. For a moment, there was no reaction from the blonde, and in those seconds, Hermione was scared. She almost pulled away before she felt the slight pressure on her lips from Luna, which made the sixth year girl feel a little better. Just as soon as it had been there, that pressure was gone and Luna backed away. She drew her bottom lip in with her toungue, then let her teeth scrape over it. The action only made Hermione want to kiss her again.
Luna stood up then, and reached for Hermione's hand and helped her up as well. Hermione accepted Luna's hand, glad that the blonde wasn't repulsed by her now. Once the older girl was on her feet, they began to walk again, this time, Hermione had her hands in her pockets and Luna's hands were at her sides. Hermione felt further relief when Luna's arm hooked with hers as if for a moment there, she had forgotten. Still, there were no words spoken as they took the long way inside. Snow fell lightly, though it didn't stick.
The whole walk back, Hermione wondered what Luna thought or felt about what had happened between them, but seeing as Luna was still litterally at her side, the older girl could only be happy with that. She was glad that, so far, Luna didn't hate her. When they got to the entrance to Hogwarts, the two stood unmoving, forcing Colin Creevey to move around them in a tight squeeze. Slowly, Hermione said, "Well, er... I'll see you for study tomorrow, yeah?" Luna nodded, and the sixth year felt her stomach stir. She turned to go. "See you th-then."
"Hermione," Luna called softly after her. She shuffled on her feet for a second, the only sign of anything past her usual dreamy state. Hermione turned back to look at her, watching these new movements of Luna's. "I... I don't think you're ready." Luna's gaze hit Hermione full on. "I think you need to talk to her." Hermione could only nod as she thought about this, but Luna was already leaving, making small hops towards the Ravenclaw Tower. She suddenly turned around and trotted back to Hermione. She dug into her robe pocket and handed over Trevor. Their hands touched for an axtra moment before Luna backed away. Hermione noticed that the blonde had brought her hands in to herself, holding them in fists upon her chest as she skipped away.
*****
Two more weeks passed with better weather, but Hermione hardly noticed unless she was on her walks with Luna. The blonde was just about all Hermione thought about. Luna and that kiss was there in her mind at all times, which worried the sixth year girl, especially if the feelings she'd developed for Luna weren't reciprocated. Hermione wondered how she could go from being so madly in love with Ginny Weasley, to being heartbroken, to having feelings for Luna. Could it have been a transferrance of emotion from one girl to the other because Ginny never really loved her the way she loved Harry, and Luna was the one to show her any affection since then?
Hermione wasn't exactly sure about that, as she felt a little bit differently towards Luna than towards Ginny. Luna and Ginny were completely different, so why wouldn't Hermione feel differently? But there was something between them that changed after they'd kissed and Luna told her where she stood. Their walks, if possible, became longer. In class, their gazes found eachother often, and thier phyiscal contact was almost constant. This gave Hermione some hope that her feelings were returned, but Luna was clear: Hermione needed to let the past go completely, and in order to do that, she had to talk to Ginny. Hermione had seen the look Ginny had given her a couple of times, and she knew the youngest Weasley wanted to talk about it. Hermione simply hadn't been ready. Maybe she was now. She could do this. Not for Luna, but for herself. Okay, and maybe for the possibility of being happy with Luna, either as a friend or more.
As if to hear her thoguhts, Hermione saw Ginny first thing one morning on her way to breakfast. She stopped in her tracks for a second, then continued on her way down towards the Great Hall. Perhaps she still wasn't ready. Hermione made it to the door and was about to go in when she spotted Luna. She smiled and recieved on in return. She took a step towards her, but Hermione was stopped by a hand around her wrist.
"Hermione, we need to talk," Ginny said. When Hermione looked in her direction, she saw how sad the redhead was.
"I've got to feed the animals at Hagrid's cabin with Luna," Hermione said.
"I can go by myself today," Luna spoke up, and Ginny nodded while Hermione shook her head frantically. Before Hermione could protest, Luna turned and broke into a cross between a skip and a run. The sixth year girl didn't miss the look of sadness that had flashed on Luna's face before she'd left. She then turned to Ginny.
"You're not about to break the promise you made to me, are you?" she asked.
"Please Hermione, we need to talk."
"Come on, then," Hermione said after a minute. She led them to a stairwell that wasn't used much on the weekends. She chose this one because of the window that looked out onto the grounds where Hagrid lived. Luna was a tiny dot in her light blue sweater and jeans, but she was still skipping her way to the cabin, her arm out as if Hermione was still there with her. Hermione didn't like that Luna was alone today, and she didn't like the thought of Fang waiting there expecting to give slobbery kisses to her, only to be disappointed that she didn't come. She stared out the window for a moment longer, then turned away from it to look at Ginny expectantly.
"I know I told you that we won't talk about our break up. After everything, I knew I owed you that prmoise."
"A promise you're not going to keep," Hermione added in. Ginny at least had the decency to look ashamed.
"Please," she pleaded.
"Okay, so what is so important that you need to talk about this, especially now that four months have passed?"
"That's just it," Ginny replied," I thought you'd be ready to at least talk about it. Maybe it'd make you feel better to know that Harry and I aren't together anymore."
"That doesn't make me feel at all better," Hermione told her. The only thing that would have made her feel any sort of okay was walking through the grounds with Luna, looking for Nargles and telling her about the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz.
"Hermione... Harry didn't admit his feelings for me," Ginny confessed, "I told him how I felt for him. He told me that he felt the same way, but he wouldn't do anyhting about those feelings until I told you how I felt. He said to tell you that it was him, not me, who made the first move."
"He was willing to give up one of his best friends for you. He really does love you." Hermione turned again and looked out the window. Luna was completely out of sight by now. "Whatever it was that broke you guys up, fix it. You're just feeling guilty," the sixth year girl said after a moment.
"I am. I feel so bad."
"Well," Hermione said slowly with a small shrug, "there's nothing that can be done about it now." Ginny nodded sadly.
"I wondered what it would've been like if we'd stayed together. It I'd stuck it out some more and try to fall back in love with the one who wrote me that beautiful letter-"
"But you can't," Hermione cut in. "Don't you think I wished the same thing? To fall for someone other than who I fell for? To not be gay so that my feelings could be returned in full for once?" Hermione turned away to look out the window. She couldn't face Ginny as she said this. "Damn it, this is why I didn't want to talk about it. It only makes it hurt again, and in the end nothing's changed anyway."
"You've changed, Hermione. It is subtle, but it is there," Ginny said softly.
"I guess I have. I think... No, I know... I'm fine with how things have ended up. Harry loves you, and I love Luna. Even if she doesn't love me in return, I'm happy just walking with her and telling her stories." Though gGnny seemed surprised by this sudden confession, she smiled.
"That's wonderful."
"So there, the guilt is lifted," Hermione said.
"That isn't what I meant-"
"But its true," Hermione cut in, looking at the redhead before her. Slowly, reluctantly, Ginny nodded. "And that's okay."
There was a long silence between them before Ginny said, "Harry misses you."
"I know."
With that, Ginny went back to the Great Hall. Hermione slowly went as well, smiling widely at the terse voice of Professor Snape saying, "Miss Weasley, kindly remove yourself from Mr. Potter's lap. Ten points each from Gryffindor for inappropriate public display of affection."
Hermione hurried out the door and ran to Hagrid's cabin, where Luna was just leaving. She locked the door with her wand and turned towards their usual path around the border. When she looked over and saw Hermione, she stopped. A quick movement to her face told the sixth year girl that Luna had been crying. For her? Hermione wondered. Hermione's run slowed as she got to Luna, but she didn't know what to say.
Finally she said, "Someone dear to me once told me that a day like this is perfect for looking for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks."
Luna looked to the ground, then looked up again. "Well... Better not waste daylight then," she said. Hermione smiled a shy smile and went to Luna's side. She offered Luna her elbow, who linked her arm through it, and together they started walking. Hermione sighed in contentment. A moment later, Luna's hand slipped slowly out of her arm, enough that her hand traveled down it until it touched the sixth year girl's palm, which was rested at her side. Hermione peeled her hand from her side and they walked together hand in hand. For the first time in months, Hermione was truly happy.